PREVIEW: LOGAN RUFFIN (NO. 31 TURNER MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET)
VENUE: GRESHAM MOTORSPORTS PARK (.5-MILE OVAL)
CIRCUIT: USARACING PRO CUP SERIES (RACE 1 OF 16)
DATE: MARCH 27, 2010 (250 LAPS, 125 MILES)
RUFFIN AT GRESHAM… This weekend’s race will be Ruffin’s first Pro Cup Series event at the half-mile asphalt track. During Friday’s practice sessions, the No. 31 will not only see the track for the first time this year, but so will its driver.
REARVIEW MIRROR… At the end of the 2009 season, Ruffin and his Turner Motorsports team partnered for the final three races of the Pro Cup Series schedule. In the teenager’s first Pro Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway, Ruffin recorded a 13th-place finish despite blowing a tire with 67 laps remaining. During their next outing at the legendary Rockingham Speedway, the duo scored a 12th-place finish, as Ruffin led his first laps in Pro Cup competition (a total of 11 laps). At the season-finale event at South Boston Speedway, Ruffin started from the rear after adjustments following his qualifying effort and fought his way to a 10th-place finish – his first top-10 in the Pro Cup Series.
IMPRESSIVE RESUME… In Ruffin’s short yet experienced career, the youngster has achieved many accomplishments. In 2004, Ruffin began his racing career in Quarter Midgets, where he captured several victories in his first year of competition. After racing in a full Quarter Midget season, Ruffin advanced his career by competing in a Mini Cup in the MMRA Series. The youngster ran a full MMRA Mini Cup Series season in 2006, where Ruffin captured 15 wins and only two finishes outside the top-three positions in a total of 27 starts. Ruffin finished the National Championship competition in second-place, only one point shy of the title. The next year (2007), Ruffin ran in numerous Pro Challenge Series race, in addition to racing in the Legends Semi-Pro Division. Ruffin also won the World Series of Asphalt ASA/Crate Late Model Championship, as the youngest competitor in the history of the annual event. Most recently, the teenager has not only competed in the ASA Late Model Series and Pro Cup Series, but was featured in a 2008 issue of Sports Illustrated and SPEED Channel’s “NASCAR Confidential: The Next Generation.”
CRACKING THE BOOKS… Although most 15-year-old’s are concentrating on their first year of high school and obtaining their driver’s license, Ruffin’s life is similar but with a few twists. While competing full-time in the Pro Cup Series, Ruffin remains homeschooled and cracks his schoolbooks at night after leaving the race shop. And one minor detail is that Ruffin drives a Chevrolet on track at upward speeds of 150, while not yet receiving his driver’s license to drive alone in his everyday vehicle.
DID YOU KNOW?... Ruffin and his family are moving from their Brentwood, Tennessee home to North Carolina to allow the young gun to concentrate on his racing career every day.
TWEET, TWEET… Twitter followers can stay up-to-date with Logan Ruffin on and off the racetrack during the 2010 season by following the up and coming driver @LoganRuffin. Ruffin shows his fans insight on what it is like to be a teenager who is living his dream. In addition, Ruffin holds trivia contests throughout the year for his followers to win free prizes.
MEET THE DRIVER… Fans, who attend the season opening Pro Cup Series event at Gresham Motorsports Park, will have the opportunity to meet Ruffin and his fellow competitors this Saturday as they will be on hand at 5 PM Eastern to sign autographs prior to the 250 lap race.
QUOTES FROM BEHIND THE WHEEL:
RUFFIN (On his goals for the 2010 season): “First and foremost our goal this season is to win the championship, so we really need to come out of the box strong and capture a top-five finish. We would love to win a few races along the way, but we have to remain consistent and really establish ourselves as a contender each week without having those DNF weeks. My Turner Motorsports team has been working hard and with the experience that we had at the end of last season, I truly believe that we can achieve our goals. We just have to make sure to keep the car in one piece every time we get onto the racetrack.”
RUFFIN (On being homeschooled and driving fulltime in the Pro Cup Series): “It’s a balancing act for sure to remain on track for school and also concentrate on the racing schedule. But being homeschooled has allowed me to have a lot more flexibility in my daily routine. When I’m in North Carolina at the race shop, I usually do most of my work at night. If I can’t do some work one day, I’ll double-up the next day to make sure I’m still on schedule. Overall, each day is a little different and I usually do as much as I can when I have some free time.”
RUFFIN (On his biggest challenges this season): “I believe my biggest challenge this season is going to be learning the new tracks that we go to throughout the year. When I get to the track, I’m racing against guys like Benny Gordon and Clay Rogers who have hundreds of laps on these tracks. These are the guys who are up front racing for the win every week. Since I want to be up there with them, I have to do as much prep work as possible before getting to the track and use every minute of track time to gain as much experience as I can.”
-TMS-
